Think Out of the box

To be successful you need to “Think out of the box” is what we are taught, so is it the absolute truth? Can’t you be successful without thinking out of the box?

Thinking out of the box somewhere means that think something innovative or new and which of-course beyond the boundary is. We have seen many successes where the ideas were not unique but the execution level and timing did it all. For example, Microsoft’s UI (i.e. desktop icons) based OS was actually the project of Apple, but because of its timing and great interface there are number of users who thinks ‘OS’ and ‘Windows’ is the same thing, like Google and Search Engine is same for many and again Google was totally inspired by Yahoo! but a better version and a better launch.

By seeing these examples you might think that it is not that important to think out of the box, but we would say that to achieve the increased level of ‘already existing’, one need to think and do something extra which brings them success, and it undoubtedly requires out of the box efforts.

Below diagram describes well the need to think out of the box.

This diagram explains that problems are inside the box while its solutions are out of the box most of the time and to achieve it we need to move out.

And thus I would say, YES.

Everyone, whoever you are, whatever you do, and there is a time when each and every individual has to think out of the box to shine, grow exponentially, achieve success and sometimes even to solve problems.

So now our hot question should be “how to think out of the box”?

It is so correctly said that by just saying or chanting “Think out of the box” doesn’t actually help in thinking out of the box. Then, how to do so?

Here are few points which can help all of us in thinking out of the box.

1) To think out of the box, you should know what, how and where the box is :

To do some brilliant, extra ordinary, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious job in any particular field, you need to get into it.

Briefly explaining the detail: To develop an application, you need to get into it. You need to know that how to design the architecture, how to code, how to manage it, i.e. you need to know what the box is all about. It is undeniable material to know the dimensions of the box. You can say this as a pilot or incipient stage.

2) Contribute:

It is not hidden from any of us, that our concept or level of understanding gets a boost when we explain something to someone. And so is in contribution. Apart from your job, when you share your knowledge, which may or may not turn helpful to others but that try of yours certainly helps you.

You might have observed that, sometimes while explaining or sharing a thing with any one, a different question or idea strikes in your mind, which didn’t bump when you learned it. And that striking is all what you were looking for, which could have been hidden somewhere forever if you didn’t shared it. Also remember that all of us have something to contribute.

So Contribute, help, donate and bag establishment obliquely.

3) Think from out of the box:

In this advance world, We are sure you would have used a ‘Camera’, and would have used the wide-tele (zoom out – zoom in) feature to get desired pictures. And while clicking a far away object you would have zoomed enough till the object is clearly visible, let us say that you zoomed it to extreme level of camera. Now, suddenly you decide to click other object which is not so far away than first one but you are in hurry, so without wasting time in widening, you search for that object with keeping the same zoom level, and you tussle for a while and then either your luck was too good that you find the object(least possibility) or you drop the idea of clicking that object (ummm…possible) or you widen the frame locate the new object through the widen view and then zoom back to it and then get the picture (least preferable but most possible).

This example teaches us that there are times when we do not step back to take a wide view of the situation and ruin our time, energy .But that is the point where probability of making mistake increases. To think out of the box, you need to think from out of the box.

Get details, contribute and if you get stuck then step back to have a wide view and get rid of boundaries you own.